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Timo Meier Taking Personal Leave Of Absence

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The New Jersey Devils announced today that forward Timo Meier is taking a personal leave of absence to tend to a family health matter.

As is customary in situations such as these, no further detail was provided nor was a timeline on Meier’s absence noted. That’s to be expected in situations like these, where the hockey, to be frank, becomes completely secondary to whatever is going on in the player’s off-ice life.

The Devils said in their statement “The entire organization supports Timo and his family and appreciates everyone respecting their privacy at this time.”

While, as mentioned, the hockey implications are secondary in this sort of situation, it is important for us here at PHR to at least take a moment to break down the on-ice ripple effect of Meier’s absence.

The core takeaway is that the Devils’ leading scorer on a points-per-game basis, Jack Hughes, remains out with an injury, so Meier’s leave of absence only further emphasizes the importance of the other key offensive players on the Devils. The unfortunate side effect of this development is that players such as Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Dawson Mercer, and rookie Arseni Gritsyuk now have an even greater level of importance to New Jersey’s efforts in terms of scoring goals.

Meier is in the midst of a strong offensive campaign, ranking third on the team in scoring with 11 goals and 23 points in 30 games. He’s a key power forward for the Devils, with at least 50 points in each campaign since arriving in New Jersey.

Meier is slotted in on the Devils’ first line alongside Hischier at the moment, but this development will mean head coach Sheldon Keefe will need to adjust his lineup. It’s possible veteran Ondrej Palat sees a promotion into Meier’s role while Meier is away from the team, or that Keefe elects to more substantially alter his lines beyond just promoting one player.

Again, while the hockey implications of this news might appear important, for the entire Devils organization, the hockey side of things is secondary to supporting Meier as he deals with this family health matter.

Wild Reportedly Have “Significant Interest” In Kiefer Sherwood

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The Minnesota Wild have reportedly “shown significant interest” in Vancouver Canucks veteran forward Kiefer Sherwood, according to The Athletic’s Michael Russo and Joe Smith.

Sherwood, a pending unrestricted free agent, is widely expected to be dealt by the Canucks before the trade deadline next year. According to Russo and Smith, “The Canucks have shopped him around the league and originally wanted a good, young prospect.”

Smith and Russo now cite league sources who tell them the Canucks “have since changed gears” in their expectations, and “now want a good roster player and have also asked teams for a first-round pick.”

Whether the Wild remain interested in trading for Sherwood specifically at that price remains unclear. Earlier this month, we covered reporting indicating that Sherwood clearly fits the exact kind of mold of player Wild GM Bill Guerin would like to acquire.

The 30-year-old is notoriously difficult to play against, combining pest-like attributes with a real physical edge to his game.

The sandpaper in Sherwood’s game (he registered a whopping 462 hits last season) pairs with Sherwood’s more recent emergence as a goal scorer to create a really intriguing player for teams to target.

Sherwood has already scored 12 goals this season, and he had 19 goals and 40 points last year. While he’s rapidly increasing his expected asking price in free agency next summer, he’s also rapidly increasing his overall on-ice value.

As for his potential trade fit in Minnesota, it’s important to also note that there is some recent history of substantial trade talks between the Wild and Canucks. Russo and Smith in the same piece as earlier reported that “the Canucks turned down an offer from the Wild” that would have sent Wild center Marco Rossi to Vancouver at the 2025 draft. Per Russo and Smith, the offer included the No. 15 overall pick, center Aatu Raty, and netminder Arturs Silovs.

While Sherwood has gone cold in terms of scoring over the past two weeks, it’s unclear whether that will play a role in changing the leaguewide interest in his services. The trade market for established NHLers has been widely characterized as slower than usual, with few teams embracing the role as true sellers.

The fact that the Canucks appear clearly motivated to deal their unrestricted free agents, even established NHLers, makes them unique in the overall trade market landscape of the NHL right now. As a result, it’s likely that the high level of trade interest in Sherwood will likely be immune to the game-to-game fluctuations in his form.

As for where Sherwood might fit in Minnesota, the clear objective for the Wild in pursuing him would be to help address their need for more secondary scoring. Stars Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy are doing a lot of the heavy lifting for the Wild in terms of production, and they’re the only two Wild players with a double-digit goals total so far in 2025-26.

Sherwood would add a third such player to their team, and would give head coach John Hynes a player who could easily slot in on their third line, perhaps in the spot of veteran Yakov Trenin. While Trenin’s salary ($3.55MM AAV) merits more of a third-line role, Trenin has produced like a fourth-liner in Minnesota. He has eight points in 30 games this season and scored just 15 points in 76 games last year.

Whether the Wild are in enough of a need of immediate secondary scoring help to surrender what the Canucks are asking for in exchange for Sherwood is not clear at this time. For as many positive qualities Sherwood brings on the ice, trading a first-round pick as well as a “good roster player” for him is a steep price.

The Wild are already without second-round picks in each of the next two drafts thanks to prior transactions. Consequently, Guerin may need to think carefully before spending another premium draft asset on immediate help.

When it comes to acquiring Sherwood, or any other veteran player for that matter, Minnesota will need to carefully balance the value of immediate help versus the risks of depleting the resources the team’s amateur scouting department, led by Judd Brackett, will have at their disposal next year.

Photos courtesy of Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Buffalo Sabres Recall Isak Rosen, Place Jason Zucker On IR

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The Buffalo Sabres announced today that forward Isak Rosén has been recalled from the club’s AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. In a corresponding move, Buffalo placed veteran forward Jason Zucker on injured reserve.

With Zucker now out indefinitely due to an undisclosed injury, this recall presents Rosén with an extremely valuable opportunity to establish himself, finally, as a full-time NHL player.

Of the 30 skaters drafted in the first round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Rosén is tied for 25th in terms of career NHL games played. Despite the fact that Rosén has not developed quite as quickly as some of his peers from the 2021 draft class, most evaluators have remained optimistic about Rosén’s NHL future.

In January, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler reiterated his projection of Rosén as a potential 20-goal top-nine forward. Over the summer, Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff called Rosén “the best pure winger” in the Sabres’ system and ranked him No. 5 in the Sabres’ prospect pool.

With that said, some evaluators have been more pessimistic about Rosén’s NHL future. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman wrote in August that Rosén’s relatively slight “frame plus average compete level leaves questions on whether he can translate his skill to the NHL.”

With Zucker out indefinitely, Rosén is likely to get the chance to validate his believers and prove his doubters wrong at the NHL level. He has already begun to do so, to a limited extent, this season. Rosén spent most of November in Buffalo, skating in a total of 10 games for the Sabres. He started off well, scoring his first NHL goal in his first game of his recall. He finished his NHL stint in late November with seven points in just 10 games, a level of production that slots him in as the ninth-most productive Sabres forward so far in 2025-26.

While it’s unclear at this moment whether Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff will slot Rosén in directly to the lineup spot formerly occupied by Zucker, he’d likely be a superior offensive option to other Sabres depth forwards. Outside of his strong NHL scoring from his first recall, Rosén has also impressed at the AHL level, scoring 19 points in 13 games.

Beyond just the key on-ice implications of this recall for Rosén’s odds of becoming a full-time NHLer, this season also carries significant financial ramifications for the player. Rosen is set to turn 23 in March and is coming up on the expiry of his entry-level contract. Rosén’s entry-level deal didn’t carry any signing bonuses for 2025-26, meaning if Rosén fails to secure a lasting spot in the NHL, he’ll play most of the campaign on just his $80K AHL salary. For a player who has made at least $172.5K in each of the past two seasons of his ELC, that would represent a significant pay cut.

As a result, while Zucker’s injury was certainly unfortunate news for the Sabres as a whole, and most definitely not something Rosén is celebrating, Zucker’s absence does create a hole in the Sabres’ NHL lineup that Rosén could massively benefit from. This is potentially the opportunity for Rosén to get a long runway to prove himself at the NHL level that he’s been waiting for, and now all that’s left for him to do is to continue to produce and continue to make the most of the ice time he receives.

Photos Courtesy of Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Maple Leafs’ Bobby McMann Suspended One Game

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The NHL Department of Player Safety has announced that Toronto Maple Leafs forward Bobby McMann has been suspended one game for high-sticking.

The infraction in question occurred during last night’s Maple Leafs game, when the club took on the Tampa Bay Lightning. Early in the third period, Toronto was defending a 1-0 lead, and Toronto’s Simon Benoit took down Tampa Bay’s Jack Finley with a hard, legal check. Tampa Bay forward Gage Goncalves appeared to respond to the hit by delivering his own check to Maple Leafs defenseman Dakota Mermis, who was collecting a puck in Toronto’s corner. Things escalated from that point, with a scrum breaking out near the center of the ice and Goncalves fighting Maple Leafs forward Dakota Joshua.

Goncalves was assessed a match penalty for his hit on Mermis, with the key point of controversy on the play being the apparent knee-on-knee contact of Goncalves’ hit. During the center-ice scrum that broke out as a result of Goncalves’ hit, McMann responded to a shove from Lightning forward Oliver Bjorkstrand by hitting Bjorkstrand on the top of the helmet, with some force, with his stick. McMann was assessed his own match penalty on the play.

In their video explaining their decision, the Department of Player Safety said that McMann struck Bjorkstrand’s head “with sufficient force to merit supplemental discipline.” The Department of Player Safety drew a clear distinction between the aggressive manner in which McMann lowered his stick and the conventional way a player would be expected to lower a raised stick. They also considered the intentionality of the act, stating that McMann was “in full control” of his stick and his body at all times of the incident in question. They added that McMann “simply must display more control” to ensure his stick does not strike an opposing player’s head in such a manner.

McMann has no prior history of supplemental discipline at the NHL level, which is a factor the Department takes into account. This suspension will cost McMann the chance to play in Toronto’s game on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks. McMann has eight goals and 14 points across 29 games this season. He ranks seventh among Maple Leafs forwards in time on ice per game, averaging 14:19 per game with most of that being at even strength.

Colorado Avalanche Activate Gavin Brindley

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The Colorado Avalanche announced today that forward Gavin Brindley has been activated off of injured reserve.

On Dec. 3, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told the media that Brindley was ahead of schedule in his injury recovery process, and was likely to return before the conclusion of the club’s road trip. Tonight is the last game of the team’s road trip before they head home to play the Florida Panthers on Thursday, so Brindley’s activation today lines up directly with Bednar’s expectation.

Brindley last played in Colorado’s Nov. 20 contest against the New York Rangers. He sustained a lower-body injury and was designated week-to-week. Brindley’s injury ended up costing him nine games in total.

A 2023 high second-round pick, Brindley has made the most of his start to the 2025-26 season. He struggled to adjust to professional hockey last year (his first campaign as a pro since leaving the University of Michigan), scoring just six goals and 17 points in 52 AHL games. The Columbus Blue Jackets ended up trading Brindley over the summer as part of a package of assets that landed them Miles Wood and Charlie Coyle.

Still exempt from waivers, most likely expected Brindley to require some more time in the AHL before becoming a full-time NHLer. Brindley’s lackluster production in his rookie AHL campaign was seen as a sign that he might need some more time to grow his game before making an impact in the world’s top league.

Brindley beat those expectations by making the Avalanche’s NHL team out of training camp, and he has made the most of limited ice time this season. Despite averaging just 9:17 time on ice per game, including very little special teams usage, Brindley has managed a healthy eight points in 18 games. That’s a 32-point 82-game scoring pace, a decent output for a rookie, and especially a rookie in such a limited role.

Brindley has always been credited with an exemplary compete level and work ethic, and he’s effectively leveraged those traits into concrete production so far in Colorado. While his injury may have slowed his momentum, his re-addition to the Avalanche’s healthy roster strengthens what is already one of, if not the best lineups in the NHL.

Tampa Bay Lightning Recall Scott Sabourin

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled forward Scott Sabourin from their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.  The move comes in advance of the club’s game tonight against the Montreal Canadiens.

This is far from Sabourin’s first recall to the Lightning’s NHL roster. Earlier in the season, Sabourin was recalled on multiple occasions so that he would be able to serve the four-game suspension he was assessed for his actions in the preseason. Sabourin was suspended for a hit on Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad. Most had assumed Sabourin’s recalls were going to be limited to suspension-serving, as the veteran had played in just four NHL games over the last three seasons.

But on Nov. 12, the Lightning recalled Sabourin and he ended up playing that night’s game against the New York Rangers. He played in nearly 12 minutes of ice time, which was the most he’d received in an NHL regular-season game since the 2019-20 campaign. Sabourin instantly rewarded the Lightning’s faith in him, scoring his first goal of the season (and first since 2019-20) early in that night’s game.

Sabourin added an assist in the Lightning’s following game on Nov. 15 against the Panthers before he was sent back to Syracuse on Nov. 19. A bruising physical forward, Sabourin hasn’t been much of a scorer at the AHL (or NHL) level for most of his career. But what’s continued to get him both hefty AHL contracts (his one-year, two-way deal carries a $350K guarantee) and NHL recalls has been the imposing physical presence he’s been able to provide.

The Lightning were shut out by the Maple Leafs last night in Toronto, and have had to travel to Montreal and will need to play tonight’s game as the second half of a back-to-back. By adding Sabourin, the Lightning have added fresher legs to their roster and a forward capable of going toe-to-toe with some of Montreal’s heavyweights, such as Arber Xhekaj and Josh Anderson.

While it’s unclear at the moment whether Sabourin will dress for the game, his recall does at least provide head coach Jon Cooper with another player to choose from when selecting a lineup.

Golden Knights Reassign Jesper Vikman

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Dec. 7: Vikman has been returned to Henderson, per a team announcement. He dressed as the backup to Akira Schmid, who posted a 24-save shutout against the Devils on Friday, because Hart was listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. As such, Hart is expected to be available tonight against the Rangers.

Dec. 5: The Vegas Golden Knights announced this morning that they have recalled netminder Jesper Vikman from their AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights.

Since Vegas already has two goalies on its active roster, Carter Hart and Akira Schmid, the move appears to, at this moment, bring a third netminder into the fold for head coach Bruce Cassidy to choose from. It’s possible this recall is a response to the expected unavailability of one of those two netminders, but nothing of the sort has been reported at this time.

This transaction appears to be Vikman’s first regular-season NHL recall. The 23-year-old has yet to make his NHL debut, and while it’s more likely he’s been recalled at this time to serve in a reserve capacity, today’s move does at least give him the chance to skate in an NHL game for the first time.

A 2020 fifth-round pick out of Sweden’s AIK, Vikman earned an entry-level contract off the back of two strong seasons as a No. 1 goalie for the WHL’s Vancouver Giants. Vikman was an All-Star in the WHL, posting a .903 save percentage across 80 games, leading Vancouver to the postseason in both years he played there.

Vikman made the transition to pro hockey in 2023-24, and in each of the last two years, he’s split time between Henderson and the Golden Knights’ ECHL affiliates. Vikman has a career .885 save percentage across 31 AHL games, and a career .897 mark in 57 ECHL games.

So far this season, Vikman has gone 4-4-0 with Henderson, posting an .871 save percentage. Vikman is currently in one of the most important campaigns of his hockey career as a 23-year-old pending RFA. He is playing out the final year of his entry-level deal, and Vikman could be playing to secure his place in the Golden Knights’ organization beyond this season. Vegas already has prospect Cameron Whitehead signed beyond this season, and Carl Lindbom, who will also be an RFA, is the club’s strongest pro-level goalie prospect. Lindbom is widely considered to be a step above Vikman in terms of future projection.

While this recall won’t, in the grand scheme of things, impact Vikman’s chances of earning an extension as much as his performances in the AHL will, this recall still serves as an important opportunity for the player. Even if he doesn’t get the chance to make his NHL debut, he’ll still get to showcase his talents in front of Vegas’ staff in practice for the duration of his time on the NHL roster.

Canucks, Devils Reportedly Spoke Regarding Quinn Hughes

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During the Saturday Headlines segment of Hockey Night in Canada yesterday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils have held talks related to the status of Canucks captain Quinn Hughes. Friedman said that while he does “not believe there is anything imminent” regarding Hughes, “a conversation was had” between the two clubs “about where things stand and where they might be going.”

Per The Athletic’s Thomas Drance, Hughes commented on Friedman’s report last night, saying “It’s not like me, [Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford] and [Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald] hopped on a call, I wasn’t a part of that.” He added: “But obviously I’m aware that things like that could happen.”

As the Canucks have struggled to build a team capable of making a serious push towards Stanley Cup contention, the future of Hughes in Vancouver has come under increased scrutiny. The 26-year-old is under contract through 2026-27, and has shied away from verbally committing his future to the only NHL franchise he’s ever known to this point.

Two months ago, Hughes appeared on the 32 Thoughts podcast and appeared non-committal about his future in Vancouver. Jack Hughes expressed strong interest in playing with his older brother at some point in his career, and Quinn, when asked about Jack’s comments, said that he’d “of course” be interested in at some point playing with his two brothers in the NHL.

While that doesn’t mean Quinn is necessarily eyeing the upcoming expiration of his contract as his chance to play with Jack and Luke Hughes, the expiration of his contract does pose a potentially existential threat to the Canucks’ competitive hopes. For what it’s worth, it appears the Canucks have been planning for at least the possibility that Hughes will want to continue his NHL career elsewhere.

Drance reported on Nov. 25 that it’s “been evident for a while is that Vancouver has already undergone some level of contingency planning with regard to Hughes, dating back to this offseason.” He added that the team’s reported interest in Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram and Anaheim Ducks blueliner Pavel Mintyukov may have been part of the club’s long-term planning for the possibility of a Hughes departure, even if their first priority remains signing Hughes to an extension.

The Canucks’ diligence in planning for all potential outcomes related to Hughes may have influenced their decision to reportedly speak to the Devils more recently.

Because of the fact that New Jersey currently has both of Hughes’ brothers under contract, and appear to be a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, they’ve been pointed to as the clear front-runner to secure Quinn’s services should he appear on the trade market or in unrestricted free agency.

If Hughes makes it clear he is unwilling to sign an extension in Vancouver, one would have to imagine that the club would aggressively pursue trading Hughes for the best possible return. Hughes is in the middle of his prime and is among the league’s top defensemen.

Even with an expiring contract next season, the Canucks would likely receive a massive return of assets in exchange for Hughes, assets that could jump-start the club’s push back towards real Stanley Cup contention.

Speaking to the Devils to at least touch base on things, as Friedman has reported the Canucks have done, then becomes a natural part of preparing for all potential outcomes. If the Canucks eventually do consider trading Hughes, the Devils would instantly become a key team in the race to acquire him, so to speak with the Devils now allows the Canucks to at least begin to lay the groundwork for any future trade talks that could be held.

While as Friedman appeared to note, it still appears to be too early for the Canucks to get into serious conversations about what a Hughes trade would look like, it’s not too early for them to feel out the landscape of what teams might be interested in Hughes, and how interested those teams might be.

Photos courtesy of Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

West Notes: Danault, Pettersson, Rossi

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Yesterday evening, Bleacher Report’s Frank Seravalli reported that “trade chatter is picking up” around Los Angeles Kings pivot Phillip Danault. According to Seravalli, “multiple teams have inquired with LA on his availability,” and Danault could be one of the top centers available on the trade market, assuming the Kings have an appetite to deal him.

Danault, 32, has been one of the league’s more well-regarded defensive centers over the last half-decade or more. He finished seventh in Selke Trophy voting in 2018-19, beginning a streak of five consecutive years where he received votes as the league’s top defensive forward. While he has generally been a consistent offensive presence as a King, good for about 40 to 50 points of production, points have eluded him in 2025-26. Danault has just five points through 28 games this season, and has yet to register a goal.

At 32 years old, it’d be fair to be concerned that Danault’s offensive decline early in the season could be less a cold streak and more a signal of actual age-related decline. Complicating things further is the fact that Danault is under contract for another year at a $5.5MM cap hit, and owns a 10-team no-trade list per the terms of his contract. But if teams view Danault’s decline in production as more of a poor stretch than a sign of more permanent decline, then it’d be understandable that Danault would receive robust interest on the trade market.

Other notes from the Pacific Division:

  • Vancouver Canucks head coach Adam Foote told the media last night, including The Athletic’s Thomas Drance, that center Elias Pettersson is dealing with an injury and is still being evaluated. Foote added that Pettersson will undergo further testing on Sunday, including an MRI. If the Canucks lose Pettersson for any period of time, their chances of winning games would be dealt a significant blow. For as much criticism as Pettersson has received over the last year, he’s upped his production to start 2025-26. He’s scored 22 points in 28 games this season, and while that’s not at the standard he set when he was a 102-point player in 2022-23, it is an improvement in scoring pace over last season.
  • On Thursday, we covered news coming out of Minnesota that Wild center Marco Rossi’s injury recovery was progressing at a slower rate than was initially expected. Today, The Athletic’s Joe Smith relayed word from Wild head coach John Hynes, who said that he still considers Rossi at this point to be out on a week-to-week basis. Rossi has been out since Nov. 11 and has 13 points in 17 games played in 2025-26.

Hurricanes Reassign Domenick Fensore

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Dec. 5: Fensore was returned to AHL Chicago today, the team announced. He wasn’t needed for last night’s 5-1 loss at the hands of the Leafs.

Dec. 4: The Carolina Hurricanes announced today that defenseman Domenick Fensore has been recalled from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. The move comes as veteran defenseman K’Andre Miller manages an illness, according to team reporter Walt Ruff.

This isn’t Fensore’s first NHL recall of 2025-26. He was recalled by Carolina in late October while the team was dealing with a slate of defensive injuries. He made his season debut in the team’s Oct. 28 contest against the Vegas Golden Knights, a game where he received nearly 20 minutes of ice time. Outside of that one NHL game played, Fensore has largely served as a healthy scratch during his time spent on the NHL roster so far in 2025-26.

While it’s unclear at this point whether Fensore will dress for the team’s game tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs, it’s entirely possible he’s been recalled to once more serve as a spare defenseman and healthy scratch.

The 24-year-old former Boston University captain has proven himself to be a quality creator of offense from the back end at the AHL level. He scored 32 points in 67 games last season and has upped his production considerably so far this year. Fensore ranks second on the Wolves in scoring for 2025-26 with 15 points in 17 games, just behind forward Felix Unger-Sorum, who has 19 points in 20 games.

A pending RFA with arbitration rights, these repeated recalls are a positive sign for Fensore’s upcoming free agency. They signal the Hurricanes’ increased level of trust in Fensore as an NHL option, even if he hasn’t been able to crack Carolina’s lineup on a full-time basis.

The one-year contract extension Fensore signed in July of last year contained a two-way structure and an AHL salary of just $70K, with a $100K guarantee. Fensore’s on-ice value so far this season merits a significant pay raise, and the more call-ups he can receive, the more likely it is that Fensore will be able to earn a more significant AHL salary on his next contract, assuming his next deal also carries a two-way structure.

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